How do you design your holters, pic added in my last post to help what I ment

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Nice work, knucklehead. I like your oak leaves. I've done both the rounded and pointed leaves but the rounded ones always look better to me. I usually make smaller leaves than you did. I like that effect and may have to try larger ones next time. Thanks for the pics.

I agree, Johnny, this is a great thread full of good information. Keep it coming, pards.

[HorsePen Henry]

Here's one I'm not done with yet but shows how I lay out a design for stamping. This one is a pattern I got from Chuck Burrows called the "Tejano". I like it because it's a Oklahoma and Texas regional pattern from the late 1870's to 1880's. The stamp is a new one for me and gave me some trouble but I think it turned out alright for a half blind Okie. I ain't sure how I want to finish it yet but am leanin' towards just a olive oil finish and some suntannin'. I like the golden color from that treatment. I still have to sew in the toe plug. This first picture is to show Ace that sometimes when ya screw up you can just keep on a goin'. I didn't get the stamping lined up just right on this new stamp but kept after it anyway.



Here is the way it turned out after it was assembled:



Ace, I always strive to make them perfect but it is a sure thing I'll never make a perfect anything. When ya screw up just keep on a keepin' on and it'll turn out alright when ya look at the whole picture and remember to try ta do better next time.



Ace, I hope this helps ya some,

X Horse Pen

[Johnny McCrae]

Howdy Knuck,
Many thanks for your input. I also dye first, then assemble and sew afterwards. I just got used to doing it that way.

Howdy Horsepen,
That holster is a work of art! 

Ace, I always strive to make them perfect but it is a sure thing I'll never make a perfect anything.

Thats pretty close to perfection in my eyes!

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[Ace Lungger]

Knucklehead,  I love that holster!!! And many thanks for the input, it's great to have a lot of you Pards talking and giving everyone a little something to work with!!! I love that Oak Leaf Patter!

Horsepen,  I don't think you screwed up, I think sometimes we see our own mistakes that no budy else would!!

Since I don't have a wing divider yet,9 but I seen that harbor freight has one cheap, next time my dad has to go get parts for my brothers shop, i am going to see if he will pick me up one, untill I can get a good one! If you make a lite mark with the tool that you use to trace your carving lay out (the one with the little ball on the end) will it show up ! That is a big problem for me when stamping a border, is getting it strait!! I also dye my holsters before I sew, that away if I want to off set the contrast with a differnt colored thread I can do that.

I was told by a person, not on this forum or any forum that I could make me some modeling tools useing dowel rod , ect. I did make 3 new stamps yesterday, but they where just copies out of a book so i didn't have to go buy them.
I was wondering if someone had the time to , take some close up with differnt angles of the most used modeling tools! That away I can try and make some, my wife is about to skin me alive if i don't quick buying tools.

 And i want to thank all you pards with all my heart  that have sent me tools!!

 Last Friday, the post man comes to the door with a square box that was pretty heavy, I didn't have anything coming in!! I had not ordering anything! But the box was heavy, when I open it up I could not believe my eyes, according to Tandy last cat. the Tools this person sent me would of cost $420.00 plus ship , I was in total schock!! This group of Pards never sices to amaze me! Like I have told some of you before, this little town i live in, is all about being better than the Jones!!
 But I come hear and ask a few question and you all have done so much for me, if it hadn't been for you guys, laying in this stupid bed all winter I would of been in the nut house!!!

 But there is one thing that upset me! I cannot ever repay the Pards that have gave me tools and the knowledge and all the help!

Maybe I will when the big lottery, and i can take everyone to a big shoot or a trip somewhere or something

 This has been a super thread, and I have gain alot of knowledge!!!
 And I am very great full to all that have jumped in and gave there way of doing things!!

 ACE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

[
Howdy HorsePen

      Pard, that is a beautiful holster, and i really like the design, you did a great job here , and like Ace said when we're not the ones doing the work , we don't always see fault that the maker sees, and like i say even if there is a screw up i like to think of it as adding charactor to the piece, after all we don't live in a perfect world anywho.

      Knucklehead

     Just caught your post , nice holster pard i like your tooling with the oak leaf pattern, and the use of the diamon spots, real schnazy.


     Hello Ace

     I'm happy to hear you got another surprise in the mail, thats great pard, it won't be no time before you have all the tools you'll need.



                                                                Will all you pards take care 


                                                                     tEN wOLVES 
[/quote]

[outrider]

Howdy Horsepen

All I can say is...beautiful holster.  I like the color and the design.  As for mistakes in stamping...hey this is hand made stuff...if people want perfectly lined up geometrics they should go to someone who has a machine that makes cookie cutter impressions.

This is a nice holster for sure...

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Howdy, Horsepen. That is good work. I really like the look you got with that stamp. The overall effect is really outstanding. Geometrics are easy to get off slightly but, like outrider says, it's hand made. That's what makes it look right, anyway.

When you get a chance, post a pic on the "Holster Styles & Variations" thread. We need a good picture half skirt holster other than the Dodge City ones.

[HorsePen Henry]

Thanks Marshall Will,

I will do that as soon as I get it all finished up. Thanks fer the invite.

X Horse Pen

[Trailrider]

Knucklehead,

Great looking holster.

Trailrider...is there a right way and a wrong way to lay something out...what ever works for you (and from what I have seen it does) is the correct way of doing it...By the way I do it the same way you do 

I agree! Great looking holster and the pouch, as well.  As far as a right way and a wrong way to lay something out, sometimes it does help if you used to be a rocket scientist (engineer, actually)...and most of the time, it doesn't.     It just depends on whether the old brain and hands can connect of a given morning.

Ride easy, Pard!

[Pitspitr]

Ace to answer your original question, What works for me might not work for any one else. If I'm doing floral carving I try to find a pattern that I've saved from one of the kits I made when I was a kid and adapt it to the project I'm working on at the time. But I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with my atempts at floral carving and so I've been spending more and more time doing geometric, basket and border stampings recently. When I bought my geometric stamp set I also bought a grid craft-aid I use it to get the stamps more or les straight. When I do a basket weave I pretty much free hand it. When I do border stamping I lightly scribe a line to follow. The biggest thing you'll need to do is keep asking questions and keep expirementing and remeber what works for you (and what doesn't)

[Irish Dave]

Very nice work, Horsepen. Creative and well-executed.
The more plain skirt and loop sets off the busier pouch treatment nicely.
Great job.

[Ace Lungger]

I want to thank each and everyone of you pards for giving me advice on this subject As I have stated in another post, I am working on a pommel rig of a later design, something like the one on page 84 of packing iron book. I have the belt cut out and the border stamped! Monday, I plan on sewing the belt loops. I have had the holsters cut out for 2 weeks casesed and in zip lock bags in the frig. I have dranw out the pattern for the holsters a dozen times, I have came up with the design that I am going to use. But I am scared to start on it! I am at the point that I have the knowledge that it takes to do a average or abouve average job on them, but I am scared to start!
 I just got to jump in, slow down, and do it right. With out the help from this forum and chuck's DVD I would never make a good holster, now I am afraid of making a bad one.

Thanks for all the help!!!!
ACE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

 

                    Ace you're going to do just fine Pard, you just need to get your feet wet, so go to it Pal.



                                                                   tEN wOLVES 



                                                         

[HorsePen Henry]

Yep Ace, just jump in there and do it. If ya screw up you'll know what not to do next time. Ya sound like ya never made a holster before. 

Say,...ya mentioned casing leather fer two weeks in the refrigerator. I am not sure that is a good idee. The only time I have cased leather in a refrigerator was rawhide in a wet towel overnight so it would swell up and it was as limp as a wet noodle the next morning. It worked great for overnight. I would think two weeks may be a bit too long. Have ya pulled it out and smelled it lately???

X Horse Pen

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I never case leather myself. I just wet it with a quick dip in water, a couple seconds only. A few minutes later it's ready to go. You can tell when because the leather takes on the right color. I keep a spray bottle handy while I work so I can moisten it if it gets too dry.

[cowboywc]

Howdy All
Casing your leather and putting it in the frig is something I always do if I'm doing a lot of carving.
The leather holds the moisture much longer. For simple designs and stamp work I just wet and go.
On more modern designs re-wetting can cause cuts to close up and background to sponge back up.
WC

[HorsePen Henry]

Hi fellas,

I agree that casing is a good thing to do and the length of time depends on the job and thickness of the leather. My concern was that the two week casing in the refrigerator may not be a good thing. I believe this practice may not be good on the leather. It seems to me it might get mildew or mold in it.

X Horse Pen

[Marshal Will Wingam]

On more modern designs re-wetting can cause cuts to close up and background to sponge back up.

It would depend on how wet you get it when you dampen it. I keep a fine mister on hand and put just a very slight amount on when it needs it. I never had any problems with cuts closing or design lifting, even with the most complex designs.

[Ace Lungger]

I am going to pull it tomorow and get started , i will make sure it isn't mildrew if it is i will just throwit away, but before I throw it away i will check to see if my dear friends special brown dye might take care of any mildew problem! I don't know that for a fact!!
You will find out Pards I am not about to turn away from anything, i am just wanting to fine tune my holster looks!
 I am real great full for the help that all of you all have give me!
  I know there a lots of leather workers, and I would of never put a cased pieced of leather in a zip lock and put it in the frig. like chuck burrows does, now he never said how long! That is where I got the idea. I am going to make a lot of mistakes a long the way, but i would like to make a rig look like a custom rig, not something you bought at walmart!
ACE

[ChuckBurrows]

If your leather gets mildew on it just clean it off with alcohol or vinegar - doesn't hurt a thing. I've had some pieces mildew almost immediately and leather just costs way too much to throw it away.
I've tried the spritz method even with the carving additive(s), but for me the leather just doesn't work the same - like most crafting I've found that there is no single right way to do things - there are some wrong ones but no single right way - figure out what works for you and then "Be all YOU can be" and git 'er done......